Highlights from the PechaKucha Inspire Japan project, launched following the earthquake and tsunami that hit the country this time last year, have been compiled in an e-book that's now available to download free from iBookstores.

It includes extracts from over 100 Inspire Japan events that took place around the world on 16 April 2011 plus photos, video messages and reports on the rebuilding projects by Architecture for Humanity.

The e-book will be updated quarterly with extra material and can be downloaded free in any country with a iBookstore - just search for "Inspire Japan".

Here are some more details from PechaKucha founders Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham:

PechaKucha Inspire Japan iBook

An e-book commemorating last year’s PechaKucha Inspire Japan events, and kicking off a new phase in the Inspire Japan project.

On March 11, 2011, Japan suffered what has been described as a 1000 year event. The earthquake and tsunami destroyed 400km of coastline, killing over 10,000 people, leaving 400,000 people homeless, and triggered a nuclear situation that has yet to be fully resolved.

Japan has inspired designers for many generations, it is the reason we travelled to this country 20 years ago, and have since made it our home. Japan is where the “PechaKucha 20 images x 20 seconds” show-and-tell event format was born, and it has gone on to inspire creative people to get together in 500 cities around the world, to share their creativity at more than 1000 events each year.

Japan has inspired us all, now is it our turn to Inspire Japan.

On April 16, 2011, we held our Global PechaKucha Day – Inspire Japan. We came together to show Japan that the creative world was thinking of them, that all was not lost, and that we can stand up and rebuild, even in villages and towns that were completely destroyed. With creativity and passion, anything is possible.

Inspire Japan e-book

We are very pleased to announce that the Inspire Japan e-book is available for download from the Apple iTunes Store (iBookstore). It’s free, and can be viewed on all iPads with iOS 5 in it.

The e-book pulls together a snapshot of the more than 100 Inspire Japan events that took place around the world, along with photos, art made for the events, video messages, amazing city posters, PechaKucha 20×20 presentations, and reports on some of the projects that have been completed by Architecture for Humanity, the charity we supported.

The book is available now in the iTunes Store (iBookstore) in most regions, just search for “Inspire Japan.”

A living book

The great thing about the e-book format is that it can act as a living book, it can be updated, so this is very much the start of the e-book, not the end. We will be actively adding new 20×20 presentations about the progress and projects that are happening in the Tohoku region. We see the Inspire Japan platform as a great way to get the news out to the world about what is happening in Japan.

PechaKucha

PechaKucha Night was devised by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham (Klein Dytham architecture) in Tokyo in February 2003 as an event for young creatives to meet, network, and show their work in public. It has turned into a massive celebration, with events happening in hundreds of cities around the world, inspiring creatives worldwide. Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of "chit chat," it rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. It's a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace.

www.inspirejapan.org

www.architectureforhumanity.org